Apparatus for casting metal.



No. 632,031. Patented Aug. 29, |899. E. A.,uEHL|NG.

APPARATUS FOR CASTING METAL.

(Appiication filed Feb. 12, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

:DDCJDGQGD No. 632,03I.r- Patented Aug. 29, |899.

' E. A. UEHLING.

APPARATUS FDR CASTING METAL.

(Application med Feb. 12, 1898A (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD A. UEI-ILING, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR CASTING METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,031, dated August29, 1899.

Application filed February 12,1898. Serial No. 670,105. (No model.)

To all whom if may concern,.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. UEHLING,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Apparatus for Casting Metal, of which the following is aspecification. A My inventionis in the nature of an improvement-upon theapparatus for casting metal shown and described in Letters Patent of theUnited States No. 548,146, granted to me October 15, 1895.

Generally stated, the apparatus involves parallel endless carrier chainsformed of wheeled links, in which are mounted an endless series ofoverlapping molds or buckets. The carrier, consisting-of the chains andbuckets, travels an extended straight-sided course along an upper track,returning upon a lower track. In their movement along the upper trackthe molds are upright and pass beneath the point where the metal ispoured, and when they reach the outer end of the course they turndownward to the lowertrack, upsetting to discharge the containedcasting, and return in upset condition along the lower track. In theirreturn movement the molds are thoroughly coated on the interior with arefractory material, which prevents too great cohesion between the moldsand metal poured therein.

My present invention relates especially to improved means for coatingthe molds with the refractory material as they return from the dischargeend of the apparatus in inverted position to the receiving end thereof.

My object is to provide mold-coating apparatus beneath the carrier ofimproved construction which will project the refractory material againstthe inner faces of the molds as they pass across the apparatus andthoroughly coat the interiors of the molds.

In the drawings, Figure l is a broken sectional elevation taken at aright angle to the path of the carrier and showing my improvedmold-coating apparatus, and Fig. 2 an enlarged section taken on line 2of Fig. l.

In practice I prefer to provide arlime solution for the refractorymaterial, and the apparatus shown in the drawings is particularlyadapted to such a solution. My invention is not, however, to be limitedto the use of any particular refractory material nor to providing thematerial in the form of a solution.

A is the carrier, formed of parallel chains consisting each of inner andouter links t t', respectively, mounted upon wheels s and holding theendless series of molds A'.

B Bis the lower track-frame, providedwith f n at one level, and at alower level and adjacent thereto is a tempering-tank m.

C is a tank containing the projecting device.

Between the tanks n m is a valve or movable door n', beyond which is ascreen n2, projecting over the tank m. In the latter'tank is a mixer oragitator m', consisting of a rotary shaft provided with agitating-bladesm2. The shaft projects beyond one end of the tank m, where it passesthrough a stuffing-box m3, and carries a pulley m4, which may be beltedto any suitable driving power. At the end of the tank ml opposite thescreen n2 is a discharge-spout m5, provided with a butterfly or othersuitable form of valve m6. Extending from the tank m to the lower partof the tank C is a chute or feed-tank Z. The spout m5 extends into vtheupper part of the feedtank Z, and the latter is in open communication atits lower end with the tank C. In the lower part of the tank C,below theinlet-opening'Z from the tank Z, is an agitator ic, which may consist ofa rotary shaft provided with radial arms 7o and extending through astuffing-box 7a2, beyond which it is provided with a drive-pulley 7e3.The tank C at its upper end is flared inthe direction longitudinally ofthe carrier, being formed with the inclined dashplates e' o', which attheir upper edges extend approximately to the plane of travel of thelower edges of the molds A. The sides i', at the top of the tank C', mayincline inward, as shown, to present an opening approximating in widththe length of the interior surfaces of the molds. C2 is a mechanicalprojecting or spattering device consisting of a rotary shaft h,journaled in the tank C and extending toward one end through astuffing-box h', be-

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youd which it carries a drive-pulley 7a2. l On the shaft in the tank isa drum h3, provided with radially-projecting blades h4.

The lime or other refractory material may be slaked or initially mixedin the tank n, and the valve or door n' being opened the contents of thetank flow or are swept upon the screen n2, whereby the finer particlesonly pass to the tank m. The agitator m operates to maintain thesolution at the right consistency by preventing precipitation of thelime or other refractory material while it remains in the tank m.

It. is necessary in operation that the mechanical projector orspattering device shall be at all times partially immersed in therefractory solution, and in order that the solulution in the tank C' maybe maintained automatically at the proper level I providevalvecontrolling float mechanism D in the tank Z, connected with thevalve m6. The .float lmechanism consists of the float f on a stemf',connected to one end of a leverf, which is fulcrumed between its endsand connected at its opposite end with an arm f 3 on the valve m. As thelevel of the solution descends the fioat operates to open the valve m6and admit solution from the tank m, and as the level of the solutionrises in the tanks C' l the iioat f is raised to close the inlet-valve.The stirring device la is operated to prevent precipitation in the tankC and maintain the solution at the desired consistency. The projector C2is revolved, preferably, at high speed to raise the solution in smallquantities from the normal level in the tank and splash or spatter itupward against the interiors of the molds A' as they pass across theopen upper end of the tank. The dash-plates t' and sides 1I' prevent anymaterial quantity of the solution from being splashed from theapparatus, and the spattering is thus confined to the interiors of themolds, which become thoroughly coated with the refractory material.

Where two or more carriers extending side by side are employed, onespattering device of proper dimensions may be used to coat the molds ofall the carriers.

The gist of my invention lies in the means for coating the interiors ofthe molds by spattering the refractoryy material against them. Hithertothe most approved method of coating the molds has been by spraying thematerial with 'one or a series of pneumatic sprayers. Any suitableconstruction of mechanical throwing or spattering device may beemployed, and my invention is therefore not in in its broadest sense tobe limited to the rotary drum and spattering-blades shown and described.Thus it is to be understood that my improvements may be variously modiedWithout departing from the spirit of my invention as defined by theclaims. In the event that the refractory material should be provided ina dry pulverulent or granular state instead of in solution myimprovements would be equally useful in projecting it into the molds inthe manner described.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a metal-casting apparatus, the combination with the molds andmeans for moving them, of a refractory-material supplier, and a movingmechanical projector operating to throw from itself the material fromsaid supplier into the molds, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

2. In a metal-casting apparatus, the combination with the molds andmeans for moving them, of a refractory-material supplier, and a rotarymechanical projector operating to throw from itself the material fromsaid supplier into the molds, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

3. In a metal-casting apparatus, the combination with the molds andmeans for moving them, of a refractory-material supplier, and a rotarymechanical projector beneath the path of the molds operating to throwfrom it-l self the material from said supplier into the molds,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

e. In a metal-casting apparatus, the combination with the molds andmeans for moving them, of a refractory-solution-supplying tank beneaththe path of the molds and a moving mechanical projector operating to dipinto the solution and throw the solution from itself to spat-ter thesame into the molds, sub` stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

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5. In a metal-casting apparatus, the combination with the molds andmeans for moving them, of a refractory-solution-supplying tank beneaththe path of the molds and a rotary mechanical projector operating to dipinto the solution and throw the solution from itself to spatter the sameinto the molds, substantiallyY as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a metal-casting apparatus, the combination with the molds andmeans for moving them, of a refractory-solution-supplyin g tank beneaththe path of the molds, and a projector, operating to throw from itselfthe solution from the supplier into the molds, com-v prising a rotaryspattering device partly immersed in the solution, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

7. In a metal-casting apparatus, the combia nation with the molds andmeans for moving them, of a refractory-material-supplying tank having anopening in its upper side arranged to be practically closed by thepassing molds, means for introducing refractory material into the tank,and a moving mechanical projector in the tank operating to lift the saidIIC material and throw it into the molds, subfor introducing refractorysolution into the tank, and a projector in the tank comprising a rotaryspattering device operating,r to lift the solution and throw it into themolds, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.-

9. In a metal-casting apparatus, the combination with the molds andmeans for moving them, of a refractory-solution-supplying tank beneaththe path of the molds and having an opening in its upper side arrangedto be practically closed by the passing molds, means for introducingrefractory solution into the tank and for maintaining the said solutionat a desired level in the tank, and a projector in the tank comprising arotary spattering 15

